Creeping Shadows
by ii-Phoenix-ii
Summary: A group of high schoolers and college students try to find their families while surviving against enemies: both the living and the undead. [Modern AU, Zombie Apocalypse]
1. Uprising of the Undead

**Chapter 1: Uprising of the Undead**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**Summary**: A group of high schoolers and college students try to find their families while surviving against enemies: both the living and the undead. [Modern AU, Zombie Apocalypse]

-Beginning's inspired by _High School of the Dead_.

-Maria, Rose, and Sina are cities on an island. It's a part of the U.S. because I live in the U.S. and know it better than any other country.

* * *

><p><strong>Shinganshina High School 9:42 AM<strong>

Eren yawned, humming randomly as he stared at the lone cloud passing over him. His admiration of the very blue sky was interrupted when the door to the school's rooftop opened. He didn't have to look to know who it was. "If you're here to lecture me about ditching class Armin, let me save us both time by saying I'd have failed the test anyway."

"Anything's better than a zero," Armin folded his arms.

Eren didn't bother telling him he hadn't even read the book, no matter how much Armin had persisted.

"And it wasn't even that hard. I finished it with a few minutes to spare."

He shrugged, "Whatever." He waited for the inevitable lecture about grades and succeeding in life and blah blah blah but it never came. He turned his head. "Armin?"

His best friend was looking over the ledge. "There's something happening at the school gates."

Getting up and dusting his clothes, Eren joined him. "Is there a fight?"

"W-what's going on?" Armin paled. "That man just bit the janitor."

"Must be some crazy druggie," Eren frowned. "Let's go." He stopped halfway to the door. "Armin, you coming?" He looked over his shoulder. "Armin?" He went back. "What's wrong?" He glanced at the gates and his stomach dropped. "What the fuck's going on?" Eren felt ill as he watched the janitor attack one of the staff and rip out a chuck of flesh from her neck.

Armin gripped the ledge and swallowed with difficulty, suddenly glad he had missed breakfast. Eren couldn't help but watch in horror and fascination as the unfortunate students who happened to pass by were attacked. "It's, it's almost like rabies. Passed on through bite."

Armin's mind immediately began buzzing, trying to retain a sense of order. "No, rabies don't bring the dead back to life." His eyes followed the woman that stood up missing half her neck, head titled unnaturally.

They continued to watch in silent horror as students' screams attracted more people. _More food_. Eren cringed as one female began eating a fellow student's innards, his wailing dying down as she_—_it_—_took another bite. "Fucking..._cannibals_."

Armin knew him long enough to know what the hesitation had been about. He could understand. He was terrified of using the Z word at the moment as well. Eren suddenly grabbed his arm. "We have to go. They're getting inside the building!"

"No," he dug his feet into the ground. "It's too dangerous. We should...we should call the cops!"

"I have to get Mikasa!"

"Eren, wait! It's too dangerous!" Armin wanted to run after him but his body wouldn't move. _I have to do something! _Forcing himself to remember all the times he'd been saved from the bullies, he pulled out his phone, inhaling and exhaling deeply so his hands would stop shaking, and dialed 911.

_"The number you have dialed is currently unreachable."_

Armin stared at his phone. _If 911's down, either it's from some sort of system failure or... _He fell to his knees. _This must be happening everywhere. Everyone's panicking and calling the cops and the line's become blocked. _Standing up on shaky knees, he peeked over the ledge.

"They're so many of them," he whispered to himself, "and they'll just keep on growing."

He paced restlessly.

THUD!

Armin jumped; his eyes flew to the door as it opened.

Ravenous groans and the stench of blood filled the air.

* * *

><p><strong>Shinganshina University 9:42 AM<strong>

Petra sighed at the knock on the window. She put her book down, right when she was getting to the good part too, and dragged her body out of bed. There was only one person she knew who could scale up the third story of the women's dorms. Moving the curtains aside, she opened the window and stepped back.

"You know Levi; I'm not sure what's more dangerous. You climbing up here in the dead of the night when you could slip and break your neck, or in broad light when everyone can see you and you could get expelled."

"That's the least of my worries." He closed the window and went over to the door, making sure it was locked. "Where's Four-Eyes?"

"She left before I got up," Petra shrugged. Then her eyes landed on the gun in his hand. "Why do you have that?" She asked nervously. She didn't know him that well, he was more of an acquaintance than a friend, though he seemed like a sensible enough person, but she couldn't help tense up a little.

"Haven't you seen the news?"

Petra opened up her laptop and pressed the power button. She waited anxiously, trying not to sneak peeks over her shoulder at Levi. They'd only met through Hange, her roommate and his longtime friend. He snuck over occasionally because Hange never answered her phone when he had a problem he needed her help with.

She went to get her phone when Levi spoke up. "I tried calling her but I can't get through." Petra tired anyway.

_"The number you have called—" _

She didn't bother listening to the entire message. Petra tapped her desk impatiently. Did her computer always take this long to start? _Finally_. She typed the local news station. Her heartbeat picked up as she read the headlines and clicked on the live feed.

_"—chaos. We urge you to stay indoors. Do not go out! These people are sick, dangerous, and violent, and they will attack you." __  
><em>

Petra was only half paying attention to the wide-eyed anchorwoman. Her eyes were drawn to the cops behind her shooting people who just refused to die. They were groaning and pale and bloody. One grabbed a cop, ignoring the shots to his heart, and bit his cheek, tearing the flesh out. "What are...? Are they eating people?" It was like something out a of a horror movie. "What's wrong with them?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Levi leaned next to her, almost making her jerk in surprise. "They're zombies."

"But..." She stared at the screen in disbelief. "How's that possible?"

"That's not important right now. I recognize that street; they're less than 15 minutes away."

_Oh my God! Oh my God! They're coming here. I'm going to die. What do I_—_Snap out of it! _She shoved everything back. _Panic later, survive first. In order to do that, be prepared._ She nodded to herself and stood up. "I'll go change." She grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom.

Removing her pajamas, she threw on a pair of jeans and a teal hoodie over her tank top_. I should grab some extra clothes._ She put her socks on and left. Pulling out a small bag from the closet, she began filling it. _A pair of jeans and two shirts. I should grab a jacket, gloves, and a scarf too_. The temperature could get freezing at night. She folded her long black jacket as flat as she could and shoved it in.

She glanced at Levi, he was typing away on her laptop, her printer beeping in the corner. Turning back, she threw in some underwear and socks. Petra went back to the bathroom to get more stuff. _My monthly cycle doesn't give a damn, Zombie apocalypse or no Zombie apocalypse._

* * *

><p><strong>Shinganshina High School 9:49 AM<strong>

Eren ran down the stairs, skipping some steps, until he reached the bottom. _What class does she have? History, wasn't it?_ He shoved past the few people in the hallway and went down a floor. _Which room is it?_ He checked each one he passed, ignoring the teachers. Finally he found her.

"Eren, what are you doing here?" Mikasa stood up.

"Let's go," he took her hand.

"What's going on here?" The teacher walked up to them.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Eren said darkly and moved past him, bringing Mikasa with him.

"Eren?" Mikasa asked worriedly.

He stopped, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but, there are zombies eating people at the school gates." Right on cue, screams filled the air. "Shit, they've taken over the first floor."

"We have to get out of here."

"I know. Armin's at the roof and_—_"

"No Eren, we have to leave the hallway before the students panic and run around like idiots." He nodded. They'd get trampled in the stampede. The duo reached the end of the hallway and froze as they saw two zombies chasing a screaming girl up the stairs. "She's going to the roof."

Eren and Mikasa ran after them. They heard many of _them _coming up the stairs but the students who'd come out of the classrooms to see what was happening caught their attention. A new round of screams filled the air but the duo ignored it and reached the top.

* * *

><p>Armin backed away as the zombies tackled the girl and began ripping into her. He tripped over Eren's backpack and cried out. One of them looked up, his intestines showing through the hole in his stomach, blood and flesh hanging from his mouth. Armin gagged. The zombie stood up and began limping towards him with his twisted leg.<p>

Much to Armin's relief, Eren and Mikasa appeared. "I'll take this one," Mikasa shifted into a fighting stance while Eren ran to the zombie heading towards Armin. The female zombie started to stand up and Mikasa delivered at powerful kick to her head, not holding back, and heard a satisfying snap.

Eren wrapped his arm around the male zombie's neck. He dragged it over to the ledge. Mikasa came and grabbed the zombie's feet and together they threw it off the building. They went over to Armin. "You alright?" Eren offered him a hand.

"Yeah, thanks," Armin shakily took it and stood up.

"There!" Mikasa pointed across the roof to the stairs. "There's a metal shed there. We'll be safe." The trio ran up the stairs to the concrete platform. They went in and opened the flashlight app on their phones.

"A lock," Armin nearly cried in relief as he twisted the deadbolt.

The storage room was 10 by 10, old, and dusty with some brooms falling over each other. Eren picked one to test how sturdy it was. "We could use these."

"Do you guys have internet on your phones?" Mikasa held hers up. "Mine's not catching a signal."

"We'll use mine," Armin went online. "We should use one phone at a time to save battery." The trio huddled in a corner, Armin sitting in the middle. It didn't take them much time to realize this...whatever _this _was, it was happening throughout the city.

"I don't understand, how did this happen?" Mikasa frowned. "Everything was just fine. And now..."

"Do you think it's happening everywhere?" Eren asked.

Armin searched rapidly. "I can't connect."

"What do you mean?" Eren frowned.

"I can't find out what's happening on the mainland. Or anywhere else in the world." Armin said in frustration. "I don't know why but I'm unable to get access to anywhere but the island."

They were silent for a while, puzzling over the issue. "We'll wait for now," Mikasa settled against the wall. "Maybe the military will do something to help."

They sat in silence until Eren said, "I'm going to call my mom." Armin and Mikasa kept quiet. They both knew there was a very small chance Mrs. Yeager was alive. The restaurant she owned was in downtown...in the middle of the city.

Mikasa took a moment to thank every deity out there that her parents had gone to Japan for her grandmother's funeral, leaving her in care of the Yeagers. _Dr. Yeager's on a medical conference in Sina, he should be safe. _According to the news, only the City of Maria had been hit with this...plague.

Eren swore, glaring at his phone. "I can't get through!"

"Keep it down," Armin whispered. "I know_—_"

"I can't! My mother's out there! How would you know!"

"Eren," Mikasa scolded, "enough. Stop acting like a child."

He faltered when he saw his best friend staring down_. His grandpa..._ He looked away and scowled, feeling guilty. Armin's grandfather worked in one of the heavy populated areas of the district. "...I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>"What're you doing?" Petra finished tying her shoes and walked over to Levi.<p>

"Checking the traffic."

For a moment she thought he was being sarcastic, then she realized he was trying to find the best routes, roads without zombies, or with less zombies compared to others. The knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She went and opened it.

"Ms. Ral," the dorm matron with the bird's nest hairstyle stood there, "I've heard something very disappointing." Mrs. Woods tried to look past Petra who blocked her view. "You know the rules, there are no boys allowed."

_How did she— _Petra narrowed her eyes at the girl standing behind the matron. _Of course it's her_. She gritted her teeth. Her bitchy neighbor, who always complained about Petra and Hange to Mrs. Woods because she lost the science fair to Hange. Except this time her lie was going to be true. Petra smiled charmingly, "Well I can assure you—"

Levi walked up behind her. "What the fuck do you want?"

Petra sighed. Levi had intimidated her the first time she met him, even though Hange had been there to introduce him. She looked at him dressed in his usual: dark boots, dark pants, navy hoodie and the ever present black leather jacket. She could understand the paled faces of the women at her door.

"I...uh...t-that..." Mrs. Woods stuttered, wide-eyed at the gun in his hand.

Levi was unimpressed. "If that's all then," he slammed the door shut and locked it.

"What'd you do that for? We should tell them what's going on!" Petra went after them but the hallway was empty_—_they'd bolted. She could hear their feet pounding down the stairs. Levi was looking out the window when she came back. "They're gone. I should go find them."

"It's no use," he didn't bother to look at her. "The city's getting overrun by the undead and they're completely ignorant."

"So was I," she snapped. "If it hadn't been for you_—_"

Levi turned to her, scowling, "Seeing how fast you reacted, you would have been fine even if I hadn't come along."

"My parents are in law enforcement, they've been drilling the important of keeping a calm head and being prepared since I was a kid."

"Petra," he growled in annoyance, "_don't_. You saw how they reacted to my gun. It wasn't like I was pointing it at them. They'll only act like chickens with their heads cut off and get us killed."

"I_—_"

There was a scream.

"Shit, they're here."

Before Levi could protest, Petra ran and opened the door to go after the two women. She froze at the sight of the corpse in front of her. The smell of blood surrounded her as it lunged for a bite. Petra screamed and fell to the ground, trying desperately to keep the zombie from sinking its teeth into her skin. The milky white over her eyes and that lack of emotion scared her more than the flesh she'd seen hanging from their wrecked bodies on the news.

She whimpered in relief when Levi pulled the undead woman off her and snapped its neck, letting its unmoving body hit the ground. Quickly he locked the door and yanked Petra's to her feet, dragging back to her bed. "Next time I tell you something, _listen_." He gripped her shoulders fiercely and she nodded, eyes wet.

Her phone rang.

Petra took it out of her pocket. "Hello?" Her voice shook.

_"Petra? Are you okay?"_

"Hange," Petra fell back on her bed, the knot of tension in her belly uncoiling just a little. "Are you okay? Have you seen what's happening?"

_"...of there. It's spreading...Trost...safe..."_

"Put her on speaker," Levi sat next to her, anxiety taking over his features, and she did as he said.

"Hey Four-Eyes, where are you?" There was a note of relief in his voice.

_"Levi? Good...together...Maria City's not safe...Rose with Moblit... need...move... dangerous_—_"_

The line went dead.

Petra sighed, "At least she's alive."

"For now," Levi got up. He dragged the dead girl to a corner of the room, then went over to Hange's desk and threw her stuff on her bed. "Help me move this." They pushed the desk against the door.

"I wonder how many of them are here," Petra muttered.

"Hopefully not too many, classes don't start for another week."

"Why are you opening the window?"

"You don't plan on staying here, do you?"

"But the _window_?" Petra gaped.

"Safer than the stairs."

_For you maybe._ She frowned when he picked up her bag...and tossed it outside. "Hey!"

"What? Did you pack something breakable?"

_Now he asks me_. She grumbled a 'no' and joined him. Levi stood on the pipe. "Just follow me." She was about to tell him she'd rather risk the stairs when there was a thud at the door, and a groan came from the other side.

_Great, no choice now_. Petra climbed out, standing on the pipe parallel to the window, and looked at Levi, he was already going down, only 10 feet from the ground. She moved sideways, one hand holding the edge of the bricks. She stretched her arm to grab the pipe running down the building.

When Levi's feet hit the ground he immediately pulled out his gun and picked up the green bag. He saw a zombie across the building. It didn't seem to have noticed him. Levi glanced up; Petra was taking forever, only on the second story now. Suddenly, a zombie popped its head out the window next to her and tried to grab her.

Petra screamed, nearly losing her grip.

Levi swore as the zombie heard her and started moving towards them. "Hurry up!"

Petra forced herself to ignore the zombie trying to reach her. _She can't, she's too far_. She told herself and kept going. Down below, Levi kept telling her to move faster. _What's his problem? _Then she saw movement in her peripheral vision. _Oh, well that explains it. _

"Jump," Levi threw the gun and the bag aside. "Jump and I'll catch you!"

"What?! Are you crazy?!" She tried not to stare at the ground. She guessed she was nearly 15 feet from it. "Why don't you just use the gun?"

"I don't have unlimited ammo you know!" He'd rather save the bullets if they were trapped in one place. "Now shut up and fall back." He moved into position, arms out.

"But I_—_"

"Fine, then I'm leaving," Levi turned away.

"Okay, okay!" She closed her eyes and let go, feeling gravity do its magic and pull her down.

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><p><em><strong>Please Review~<strong>_

_Should I continue or drop it? _


	2. Goodbye, Halcyon Days

**Chapter 2: Goodbye, Halcyon Days**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**Previously**: Eren and Armin see zombies eating people. Eren takes Mikasa from class and they save Armin. The trio hides in a shed on the roof. Levi goes to Petra and Hange's dorm room. They climb out the window to escape from the building.

**Note**: The distance between the cities is way larger than the manga.

* * *

><p>The seconds she felt as she fell seemed to be hours long. Petra, half-expecting to hit the ground, crashed instead into Levi's waiting arms. She heard him exhale and stagger, but he caught himself. The male zombie with the half-chewed leg and arms was almost upon them.<p>

Levi set her on the ground and moved toward the undead man, who Petra recognized as a fellow classmate from English. He took a swing at it. The zombie was unaffected. It lunged at him, trying to grab him but Levi was too fast. He paused when he saw Petra sneak up behind it and hit it with something.

It fell over, not even twitching. Levi looked up and raised an eyebrow. "A garden gnome?"

Petra, pale-faced and shivering slightly, shrugged and dropped it; it landed with a heavy thud. "I found it there," she nodded to a small garden near the side of the building, "while you kept him busy."

"It," Levi corrected. "They're no longer human, so don't refer to them as such. It'll be difficult to kill them otherwise." She nodded, trying not to look at the body. "Time to go." He grabbed her bag and his gun, comforted by the familiar weight.

"Wait, let me carry my bag. I can at least swing it around if something comes at me."

"Sure," he tossed it to her.

"Where's your car?" Petra asked after a minute of sneaking away from the dorms.

"Here, south parking lot." He stopped abruptly. "Shit."

"What?" Petra's stomach dropped. "Oh no..." A group of undead was attacking one of the cars, dragging out the terrified man through the broken windshield.

"Take one guess where my car is parked."

"Oh _no_," Petra couldn't help but whine, eyeing the black Hummer next the Toyota. Somehow she really doubted Levi drove a pink Buggy. _I doubt he would have cursed if he drove the yellow Ford Mustang. _The only other cars were the ones in the staff's section on their right. "What do we do?"

"Run!"

"You can't honestly—" Petra felt dread creeping up her spine. "Never mind. Follow me," she ran and Levi followed as the zombies that had been eating the man in the Toyota chased them.

"What're you doing?" Levi sprinted next to her.

"Cardio. I saw it on _Zombieland_."

"Are you fucking serious?!"

"They move fast but we can still outrun them." Something in the back of Petra's mind noted they'd run a half circle.

Levi looked over his shoulder and saw only one close to them, the other three, including the man that was getting munched on, were further behind them. He took out a key with a small remote and unlocked the car. They jumped in, slamming the doors shut, Levi squeezing the life out of the lock button.

"Hurry! Let's get out of here!"

Levi ignored the zombie drooling blood on his window and jammed the key in the ignition, putting the pedal to the medal and racing the hell out of the parking lot. He slammed the brake once to shake the thing off. Petra put her seat belt on, checking the side mirror and letting out a shaky breath, the zombies were across the open area. She threw her bag in the back seat.

"I can't believe you kept that with you. I'd have thrown it, less weight to carry and easier to move."

"There's a First-Aid kit, water bottles, and other essentials." She didn't feel the need to mention 'other essentials' included a box of _Always_. "Where are we going?"

"There's a gas station about an hour drive away on the outskirts."

Petra leaned over and saw they were very low on fuel. "Is that the one near the abandoned diner?"

"Yeah, I figure it's safer."

Shinganshina University was at the edge of the district, the only thing Petra had never liked about her school, until now that is. She pulled out her phone and made calls. None got through. It didn't stop her from trying again and again. Eventually, she got fed up and stared out the window.

Too lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize they were at the gas station until Levi closed the door, walking towards the small building. Her stomach growled. _I can't believe I'm thinking of food at a time like this_. But she'd always spoiled herself, giving into her cravings. She hoped Levi had enough money because she was already out of the car and walking, too lazy to go back and get some cash out of her bag.

Petra froze at the sight of a man holding a gun to someone hidden by the aisle. She didn't need to guess to know who it was. She was tempted to run back and grab Levi's gun. But the cashier would likely put a bullet in Levi's head before she made it back. She could see the fear resonating from his body.

_I can't charge in like a wild animal. He might accidentally fire_. She needed to be calm about this. She could do that. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she let the tension leave her body. Being on edge would not help the frightened man—the _armed_ frightened man—into relaxing. She walked through the automatic doors, arms hanging openly to show she wasn't holding any weapons.

The man jerked back, 'Hannes' she read his name-tag. "Hello," Petra smiled disarmingly, "I'm Petra, a sophomore at Shinganshina University."

Hannes seemed taken back for a moment then glared at Levi. "You said you were alone!"

"Please excuse him Mr. Hannes, I'm sure Levi was just scared." Petra was the picture of innocence. "With your permission, we'd like to buy some supplies: water bottles, granola bars, and such. Our car's practically running on fumes and we're trying to reach Trost without stopping. It seemed like a safer option coming here, avoiding the city and the masses."

Her small stature and delicate features tended to give people an impression she was a frail push-over. Now she couldn't be gladder, Hannes was calmer. "Fine, you can take whatever you need but he doesn't move."

"Of course," she nodded, smiling pleasantly. She picked up a basket and filled it with all the necessary items—the important ones being chocolate bars. "Um, I don't have the money." She didn't want him to panic if Levi tried to reach into his pocket, "I can take out Levi's wallet if—"

"Not necessary. I don't think money means anything anymore." Hannes was still staring at Levi, but he kept his finger off the trigger.

"I'll just fill up the car then, its number 3," Petra walked out, momentarily surprised by the beeping. She figured it was the unpaid items in the basket and continued. After storing the supplies in the backseat, half-way tempted to snoop through Levi's duffle bag and feeling embarrassed by that stupid and pointless urge, she finished putting the gas in and went back.

"All done, thanks for all your help," Petra smiled cheerfully.

Hannes nodded and lowered the gun. Levi finally got off his knees and stood beside Petra. Hannes put his weapons on the counter and lit a cigarette. "So you kids heading to Trost? Heard Rose is safer." Petra nodded and received one in return. "Be careful. World's just become more dangerous."

"We will."

"Here," he pushed a box of energy drinks across the counter. "Might come in handy."

Petra took it, "Thank you again."

"Why did you leave the car when I specifically told you not to?" Levi asked when they hit the road.

"First, I wasn't paying attention. Second, if I hadn't come, you would have a hole in your head right now."

"Whatever... Thanks."

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"No."

They were quiet for a few minutes. "Wait, pull over!"

Levi slowed before coming to a full stop, looking at her warily. "What are you—"

Petra left the car, phone in hand.

* * *

><p>"I don't hear anything," Armin pressed his ear against the door. "It's been an hour so they should be gone."<p>

"The whole school's probably turned by now," Mikasa murmured, causing the two boys to tense.

"Maybe we should have left earlier," Eren said nervously. Nevertheless, he was the first to poke his head outside the door. "It's clear."

The trio quietly neared the door. They heard noise and paused. "Some of _them_ must be there," Mikasa said.

"We can take them," Eren stepped forward.

"No," Armin shook his head. "Even if we make it through the third floor, the second and first are still flooded. We'll never make it out the building." His eyebrows furrowed and his expression because concentrated, something his two friends were familiar with and wisely kept quiet. "How many zombies do you think are on the third floor?"

"Most of the students were running down, trying to get out of the building when we were coming up," Mikasa recalled. "And half of the floor is science labs so not many."

"There's a supply closet there."

"Yeah, there's one on every floor. What's the point?" Eren asked impatiently.

"We were playing dodge ball today and I was knocked out early. So I volunteered to take ropes from our rope climbing activities from last week up to the storage room. I didn't have the key so the door's still unlocked."

"Wait, you want to tie the ropes together and go down the side of the building?" Eren gaped.

"They're each about 20-feet long. It should be 50-feet, more or less, down from here," Mikasa estimated. "We'd need 3 of them."

"That's a pretty crazy idea," Eren frowned. "But we've got no other option." They exchanged nervous glances. "Well, let's commence Operation: Rapunzel then," he joked.

Eren and Mikasa got into position; Armin gave them a nod and opened the door. They began to descend quietly. There were two of _them_, both facing away. Mikasa clutched the personalized Swiss army knife tightly, a gift from Eren on her 16th birthday. She stuck it into the undead boy's head as Eren grabbed the other one and slammed his head into the concrete wall over and over.

Armin gagged behind him, but the adrenaline rush had taken over and Eren's instincts were on high alert. He peeked around the corner. He couldn't believe their luck. There was nothing in sight! The trio made their way over to the supply closet. Armin passed the ropes coiled in a circle to the duo standing guard. He carried one on his right shoulder.

"Fuck."

Armin's heart raced when zombies began stumbling outside the classrooms.

"They're blocking the stairs."

Their former undead classmates came after them.

"Quick, get in," Mikasa led them to room on their right and closed the door. Armin placed a chair under the handle to keep it from budging. Eren and Mikasa pushed desks and chairs and everything they could to create a barrier.

They cringed at the loud slam of bodies pounding on the door.

"C'mon!" Armin urged, working on undoing his rope. The trio tied them together and Armin threw it out. Eren wrapped the other end around the leg of the heavy oak table bolted to the floor, placing his foot against the polished surface and yanking to tighten the knot.

He was the first to go down, followed by Mikasa. "Hurry up, Armin!" She resisted the urge to yell, not wanting to alert the zombies in the area or to freak out the blonde boy. Their former classmates had broken through and were now at the window. Armin slid down in shock; it took every ounce of his strength to stop. When he looked down he realized he was about four feet from the ground. Encouraged, he ignored the stinging of his palms and quickly joined his friends on the ground.

They took off running towards the parking. Some of the zombies were coming out and went after them. Mikasa pulled out the keys to her silver Corolla, the closest car to them. Having a good 10 seconds start on the undead, they were able to get in and pull out before the zombies caught up. "Where do we go?" Mikasa asked as the car shot out the gates like a bullet.

"I don't know, but avoid the main street and any place with heavy traffic," Armin advised from the back seat.

"I have to find my mother."

Mikasa felt her stomach coil in dread. "Eren, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I can't abandon her!"

"You don't even know if she's alive," Armin's voice shook. "From what I've gathered, downtown is Ground Zero." He stared at his lap. "Maybe we should head home first? Grab some supplies before moving on."

Eren wanted to snap at him, take his anger out on the blonde boy. But Armin's own grandfather worked near Eren's mother. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. "I still have to try," he whispered softly, hoping he could convince them.

Mikasa looked in the rearview mirror, making eye contact with Armin. He looked as helpless as she felt. She grimaced; she'd have to make Eren understand. Before she could become the villain, crushing Eren's feelings, his phone vibrated.

* * *

><p>Petra dialed the number, cursing her trembling hands. She had finally got a signal. <em>C'mon pick up, please pick up!<em> On the third ring, there was a click.

"_Hello?"_

"Eren? Are you okay?"

"_Petra? Fuck,"_ he exhaled in relief over the phone. _"Are you still at the university? Have you seen what's happening?"_

"I'm on the outskirts with a friend. We're heading to Trost. It's safe there. I want you to meet me there. Can you do that? Where are you right now?"

"_I'm with Mikasa and Armin. We just left the school. Mikasa's driving us home to pick up some stuff, Armin's idea."_

"That's good," Petra nodded, pacing. "Go straight to Trost after that."

"_Petra, I wanted to find mom—"_

"No," she interrupted immediately, heart clenching with fear. "I can understand how you feel, I want to find my parents too, but it's too dangerous. There is a very small chance she's still alive, and if you go there you definitely won't make it back. I've seen the news, Eren, it's impossible to navigate around in a car with all the traffic blockades. And facing the large hordes on foot is nothing short of suicide. So please, please don't do something so rash."

"…_Fine,"_ he replied dejectedly.

"I'm sorry," Petra leaned back against the car. "But think of your father. Don't make him suffer the pain of losing his only child."

She heard him sniff, voice wavering. _"I'll see you in Trost then."_

"Be safe," Petra disconnected and took a few seconds to calm her mind.

"Everything alright?" Levi asked, really hoping she couldn't cry.

"Yeah," she put on her seatbelt. "It was my cousin. He's with his friends. I told him to meet us at Trost."

Levi nodded and pulled out; glad no one he cared for was in any serious danger.

* * *

><p>"How's Petra?"<p>

"She's okay," Eren glanced at Armin. "She told me to meet her at Trost, that it was safe." He didn't say anymore, preferring to stare out the window. Mikasa and Armin relaxed, knowing he'd given up the idea of running head first into Ground Zero.

In less than five minutes, they pulled up to Eren's house. The street was abandoned, not a soul in sight. They were either at work or school. The silence only made the situation eerier. Heading inside, Eren immediately grabbed a 5x3 photo frame of his family at Disneyland the previous summer. Mikasa's hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts, she held up a blue duffle bag.

He took it with a startled expression on his face. Had he really spaced-out long enough for her to fetch his clothes? Shaking his head, he took the bag and grabbed his old aluminum bat from his baseball days. He gave his home one last glance, a longing look on his face. "Where's Armin?"

"He went to his house to save time."

Armin was putting his bag in the backseat when they came out. Cutting through the lawn, the trio walked to Mikasa's house. "I'll stand guard," Eren said absent-mindedly. The other two nodded and went in. He cursed, only one minute and he saw one of his neighbors stumbling outside.

Eren gripped his bat as a surge of energy flowed through his body. He got in a stance, "Didn't like you before," the thing rasped and stretched its arms, "sure as hell don't like you now." He swung, channeling his sadness and anger into it. The zombie dropped and didn't move again. Movements in his peripheral vision made him snap his head up. He ran up the steps and banged on the door. "Incoming!"

Eren ran to the car, glad they'd left the key in the ignition for a quick getaway, and drove right onto Mikasa's lawn. The two got in, from the look of things they hadn't yet finished. Eren backed out and switched to Drive. He slammed his foot on the accelerator. He was tempted to run _them_ over but common sense prevailed and he turned the steering wheel left to avoid collision.

"Wait," Armin said, "the man who lives at the end of the street is a cop. There's a good chance we'll find a gun there."

Eren glanced in the rearview mirror. Only two hadn't given up the chase yet. "You go get the gun, Mikasa and I'll hold them, okay?"

Armin nodded. The moment the car stopped, he shot out and ran up to the door. Picking up a pot, he threw it at the glass door. The shattering was amplified by the silent environment and his already hyper-alert senses. He found the bedroom and searched the bedside drawer. Grabbing the Glock and two magazines, he ran out the house. Eren had smashed the head of an undead girl and Mikasa had just delivered a kick to knock the other girl down. Eren finished her off quickly.

"Let's go."

Eren watched the street he grew up on disappear, giving his childhood a farewell in the privacy of his mind.

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><p><em><strong>Please Review~ <strong>_

_I watched the latest episode of _Z-Nation_, got super excited, and finished this chapter. I love that show!_


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